Betting/Fantasy Impact: Padres Acquire Juan Soto and Josh Bell
In one of the biggest blockbuster trades of all time, the Padres acquired Nationals outfielder Juan Soto and first baseman Josh Bell in exchange for shortstop C.J. Abrams, lefty pitcher MacKenzie Gore, outfield prospects Robert Hassell III and James Wood, pitching prospect Jarlin Susana and first baseman/DH Luke Voit.
SI MLB: Grading the Soto Trade
Soto and Bell will be added to a dangerous lineup that includes NL MVP candidate Manny Machado and should soon welcome back Fernando Tatis Jr.
The Padres currently trail the Dodgers in the NL West by 12 games but they hold the second wild card spot and are three games clear of a playoff berth.
With these acquisitions, as well as the addition of Josh Hader to the bullpen, the Padres have pushed the chips all in. Soto, besides being a generational talent, also adds postseason experience to the young San Diego lineup.
Alex Brandon/AP
Soto is a career .291 hitter, World Series champion and fresh off a Home Run Derby win. His .408 on-base percentage is third in MLB, and though he only has 12 homers that number should jump with more protection in the lineup.
Fantasy managers should be looking forward to Soto’s second half.
Soto currently has +3000 odds to win the NL MVP, the ninth-best odds. Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt is currently the leader with -120 odds. Soto is worth a lotto ticket as last season he hit .348 with 18 home runs after the All-Star break.
It’s possible Soto could catch Goldschmidt and the second option, Austin Riley (+305).
With Tatis returning and Soto now in the lineup, Trent Grisham and Nomar Mazara remain options only in deeper leagues.
Bell should continue his career-best season in San Diego. Bell, a free agent to be, is hitting .304 with an .877 OPS and 14 home runs.
The initial iteration of this deal included Eric Hosmer going to Washington but he reportedly used his no-trade clause to veto being sent to a last-place team.
Eric Hosmer, who reportedly used his no-trade clause to avoid going to Washington, instead heads to Boston where he will likely replace Franchy Cordero at first base.
The veteran first baseman is hitting .269 with eight homers this year, and could get a slight bump with more playing time and a better home ballpark.
Hosmer should only be rostered in deeper leagues.
Gore and Abrams are the two most notable players heading to Washington and though they are young neither is still considered a prospect.
Gore, who has struggled of late and is currently on the IL, has +6600 odds at SI Sportsbook to win National League Rookie of the Year.
However, the southpaw was once of the game’s elite pitching prospect.
Abrams, once MLB.com’s No. 6 prospect, could be worth rostering in deeper leagues with more playing time available in Washington.
Voit, who landed in Washington instead of Hosmer, loses his some of his fantasy ceiling in the Washington lineup though he should get regular playing time.
Following this trade, the Padres jumped from +1400 odds to +1100 odds to win the World Series. They moved from +900 odds to +475 odds to win the NL pennant.
I’m willing to take a flier on the Padres at +1100 odds, though the Mets, Dodgers and Braves will still be tough to beat.
Editor’s note: This story was updated to reflect the full terms of the trade upon the official announcement at 4 p.m. ET.
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